Bloodloss
by Defender of the Light
Summary: Sakura confronts Sasuke one night in a battle to the death. But who is really stronger?


Blood Loss

A SxS One Shot

Summary- Sakura finally confronts Sasuke one night in a battle to the death. But who is really stronger?

Disclaimer- The assassination attempt failed again so Kishimoto still owns Naruto. I do own Sasuke though. holds up plushie See? XD – Courtesy of my sister.

A.N.- Poor Naruto, when I wrote this it was Naruto's birthday and what do I do to the poor guy? I kill him! What a great way to celebrate your birthday. XD

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Sasuke lashed out furiously and grabbed the kunoichi by her throat, slamming her back into the trunk of a nearby tree. Sakura gasped in pain as the wind was knocked from her body upon impact. Her skull cracked loudly as it hit the hard wood. Sakura's hands raised instinctively and latched onto Sasuke's arm in a futile attempt to keep him from blocking off her air way.

"Don't tell me you understand," Sasuke hissed venomously. His Sharingan flashed a dangerous crimson in the pale moonlight. "Someone like you could never understand the things I have been forced to endure." His tone was low and he spat the words at the kunoichi as if they were something vile. Sakura lashed back at him.

"Then show me!" she screamed. Her short pink hair whipped out around her face as she threw her head around. "You keep telling me I don't understand Sasuke! Get up the nerve to actually show me why!" Sakura's words were harsh and threatening, daring Sasuke to even the playing field and show her why he acted the way he did. She watched as Sasuke's face contorted in rage and his eyes flashed. Sakura stopped wriggling against his iron grip and she found herself paralyzed. She was unable to look away from Sasuke's blood red eyes as darkness filled her mind. _'Where am I?'_ Sakura's voice shook with fear as she looked wildly around her, her voice echoing in the darkness. _'You wanted to know,'_ a husky voice murmured in her ear. Before Sakura could respond an image developed in front of her and she found herself unable to look away._'The massacre…'_ Sakura's body tensed as she watched the scene before her. The sounds and images made Sakura's heart wrench. She shivered at the sound of Fugagku's voice calling out to his wife and she felt her stomach twist as he jumped in the way of Itachi's attack, saving the life of his wife. She felt an ache in her chest as she heard Sasuke's screams of terror. He was so young to have to experience something so terrible.

A sob worked its way into Sakura's throat as she saw Itachi swing his katana for the final time, removing the heads of his parent's right in front of Sasuke. _'No!'_ Sakura couldn't help it, she screamed. In her mind she saw the images of her own parents and their bloody murder at her own hands. She felt the pain and agony of losing someone she loved. She knew all to well the raw, oozing pain in your heart that never went away.

Sakura found herself unable to breathe as the images slowly faded. She clutched at her arms tightly fighting back the painful sobs that threatened to escape from her rosy lips. Another image slowly came into view and Sakura forced her emerald eyes upward. She had asked for this, she was going to go through with watching all that Sasuke had suffered. This time the image that appeared was at a time when Sasuke was twelve. He was in what appeared to be a long hallway with Naruto, Kisame, and Itachi.

Sakura's anger flared upon seeing the two members of the Akatsuki and she growled involuntarily. She watched and listened as the scene played out before her. She had no knowledge of this event ever taking place and a part of her was curious as to what would happen. She flinched again at the sound of Sasuke's enraged voice and the force of every blow Itachi struck his brother with made her knees wobble.

She stared into the images, dreading every crushing attack Itachi hit his little brother with. Silent tears fell down Sakura's cheeks in crystal streams like diamonds. She couldn't stand seeing anyone in that much pain no matter who they were. Sakura felt her heart being torn open again and she could feel it bleed. The pain she felt for Sasuke bonded with all of her heartache and suffering over the entirety of her lifetime. She watched as Itachi lifted his little brother up by the throat and slammed him into the wall. She heard the distinctive crack of plaster and she flinched involuntarily. Sakura was strangely reminded of what Sasuke had done to her only moments before. As Itachi spoke, his words echoed throughout the dark room and the hate Sakura had for the elder Uchiha doubled. She knew his words were what had deprived Sasuke of his life as a normal teen. The new wound inflicted on Sakura's tender heart deepened as the image switched quickly to the one Sasuke had been forced to see at the time when his brother once again used Tsukuyomi on him. The image of Sasuke's parent's death appeared again, the overwhelming pain and emotion as strong as ever. Sakura felt nauseous as she re-watched the scene before her.

After what seemed like an eternity the pictures slowly faded and the blackness bled away. Sakura was once again staring into Sasuke's red Sharingan but it was as if she was staring through him and not really seeing him. Her emerald eyes were glassy and if Sasuke's hand hadn't been clutching so tightly to her pale throat she probably would have collapsed. _We're more alike than he knows,_ Sakura thought sadly. Painful images of her own parents dying flashed into her mind again and she inhaled sharply. Her face contorted in pain before going deathly blank. A single crystalline tear fell down her already wet cheeks. Her grip on Sasuke's steely forearm loosened and her arms fell like dead weights to her sides. Sasuke could feel Sakura's body go limp beneath his hand and with a final sneer he released her throat, letting her body crumple to the ground. Sakura's arms wrapped around her torso as she bent over her knees her rosette hair falling in front of her face and veiling her expression from Sasuke's view. A sound somewhere between a strangled laugh and a cry escaped her lips. The sound was heart wrenching and matched the way she felt inside; she could feel her very soul shattering as unwanted memories swarmed to her conscious mind and she tried desperately to fight them back but to no avail. She saw all the times she had fawned over Sasuke, rejected Naruto, fought with her best friend, and all the times she had needed to be protected during missions. Images of Naurto leaving Konoah to train with the Toad Sage appeared, Sasuke's departure from the same village years before, and the death of her own parents, the feeling of their blood staining her hands still as real as ever. Sakura felt nauseous. Her stomach retched as images of Naruto's bloodied corpse filled her mind and she strangled a scream.

"I understand all too well." Sakura's voice was a choked whisper.

"No. You don't. Your parents were never killed right before your eyes by someone you cared for," Sasuke challenged. More memories clashed in Sakura's mind mixing together until she couldn't remember which ones had occurred first. How long had she been fighting with Sasuke? When had he left Konoah? How long had Naruto been dead? She couldn't remember anymore and she didn't care.

Sakura pressed a trembling hand to her heart expecting to feel blood, almost pleading that it would be there. How was it possible that an emotional wound could hurt thismuch?

"You still have your parents," he hissed. Sakura's head whipped up, her anger flaring dangerously. Her face was smudged with dirt and tears but her eyes had become bitter and hard except for the icy spark of pain and sadness.

"I understand all too well," she spat. "I know the pain in your chest that never goes away. It's that bleeding pain in your heart but instead of losing blood you're bleeding out your very soul and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that you can do to make it go away. No amount of treatment makes the pain go away. You've been gone for two and a half years, Sasuke." She looked directly up into his crimson eyes. "A lot can happen in that time." Sakura's grip on her arms tightened as her anger rose. He had no right to assume what had happened in her life while he was gone. "My parents were murdered on the night of my birthday. I killed them with my own two hands." Sakura's voice intensified with pain and unbridled emotion as she spoke. "And the only person I will ever love in my entire life left me." Sakura stared into Sasuke's eyes with passion as she spoke. Sasuke looked back into Sakura's green orbs, searching them. There was no shame or embarrassment in her face as she spoke, only honesty and pain. "I lost everything dear to me and I was betrayed. I know all too well what it feels like, Uchiha." Sasuke glared down at Sakura.

"You still had Naruto and your other friends," Sasuke challenged. Sakura glared up at him and finally snapped.

"So did you," she shot back. Her breathing was heavy and labored as if each shaky breath she drew in caused her great pain. Something in her eyes changed but Sasuke couldn't tell what it was.

"And Naruto left right after you did, to train with Jiraiya the Toad Sage." Her face softened and the pained look in her eyes grew to an unbearable level. "Not that it mattered…he died in the end because of you." Her voice dropped to a low whisper and she looked away from him. A look of defeat laced her somber face. Sasuke didn't speak for a while; he just stood there, watching her. Finally he snorted in disgust and walked away. Sakura's words stopped him in his tracks.

"They never go away do they?" Her voice was barley above a whisper. "The nightmares…they never go away." Her tone was pained and her breathing slowed to a dangerously slow rate. Sasuke slowly turned his head to glance disdainfully down at the pink haired kunoichi over his shoulder. He watched her body tremble but from what he wasn't sure. It wasn't like he cared though, she was of no concern to him; her feelings didn't matter.

"You had your parents longer than I did, you should be grateful for that." His voice was cold and unfeeling but it had lost its razor edge.

"Grateful?" she whispered. "Grateful for the fact that my parents were suddenly ripped from my life after 16 years? Grateful that I was stupid enough to fall into a trap and become the puppet that was used to kill my own parents? Just because I had my parents longer doesn't make the pain hurt any less, Sasuke." Her voice had become hard and bitter again as she looked rebelliously up into his cold eyes. He studied her for a moment.

"You are weak," he murmured. Something inside of Sakura caved, some mental barrier keeping her from ripping out the Uchiha's throat crumbled and she slowly rose until she was sitting ramrod strait. Her hands were in fists at her sides, her knuckles white.

"Weak?" she whispered. "I'm weak because I was able to withstand you leaving me? Weak because I was able to endure my parents murder and stay in my own village? Weak because I did something important and meaningful with my life?!" Sakura was infuriated. She rose on shaky legs to stare evenly up into Sasuke's face. "If I remember correctly, you are the one who cut yourself off from everyone else; you're the one who left because you let your brother control your life from the very start and you even killed your best friend to gain more power! It seems to me if anyone here is weak Uchiha Sasuke, it's you!" An angry stab of pain ran through Sasuke's heart at Sakura's words.

"But you are still pathetic," he taunted, a cocky smirk stretching across his pale face. Sakura's face lost all expression and her rigid stance fell.

"Then kill me." The sudden statement and change of emotion surprised Sasuke, but he still somehow managed not to show it.

"If I am so much weaker than you are, kill me. I obviously don't deserve to live on the face of the same planet as you anymore, so why don't you just kill me and save everyone the hassle of having to deal with me?" Sakura's stance was relaxed and nonchalant as if she really didn't care, but to Sasuke that made no sense. The Sakura he once knew would never have said anything like that.

"Prove to me that you are the stronger one Sasuke." She laughed bitterly, taunting him as he stared blankly into her sea green eyes.

"And what if I decide not to? What if I choose to let you live in your anger and suffering?" As Sasuke spoke a teasing smile crossed Sakura's rosy lips.

"Either way you choose, you will, in the end, prove me right." Sakura smiled coyly at her long time crush, her feelings far from love and attraction. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"And what point would that be?" he questioned, the same coy smile playing on his lips as Sakura stared him down.

"If you chose to let me live I will become so much stronger than you. I will hunt you down and kill you if I have to." Sakura's eyes were still cold and flint like as she spoke; no sense of fallacy in her words what so ever. Sasuke looked at Sakura with a disbelieving eyebrow raised.

"You're not strong enough to kill me," Sasuke mocked referring to her emotional attachment to him. Sakura didn't flinch at his words. If anything she grew more intense. When she spoke her voice was deadpan.

"I lost you once Sasuke…and I can tolerate losing you again." Sakura's face was blank and unemotional, she had learned the hard way that keeping your emotions locked in was a bad thing; but she had also learned that too much emotion could get you killed. Now was not the time for emotion and she knew it. Sasuke looked thoughtful at her words.

"And if I decide to kill you?" Sasuke's hand fell to the hilt of his katana in a threatening manner but Sakura's face didn't waiver.

"Then you simply prove that you have become the thing that you despise most in your life; you have become exactly like Itachi." Sakura had no idea the kind of impact her words would have on Sasuke. In a flash of rage he drew his katana with one hand and threw Sakura back into the tree with the other, the blade of the weapon pressed menacingly against her bruised throat. Sakura merely raised her head giving him more access to her pale neck as the blade sliced into her alabaster skin. A thin trail of blood fell down her throat and slowly widened.

"I am nothing like my brother," he hissed, pressing the blade deeper into her neck.

"Then let me go." Sakura's voice was calm and level. Sasuke growled angrily.

"Are you really sure you want to go through life living in anguish?" he questioned. Sakura stared back at him with the same calm expression, completely ignoring the weapon pressed ominously against her neck as if it wasn't even there.

"I refuse to give in and let my agony take over my life as you did. I will not become like you. I will never betray my friends in the same way you did." A harsh resolve filled her voice and she leaned forward pushing the blade deeper into her throat, her blood painting the steel a dark crimson.

"Unlike you Sasuke I will not give in and let all of my misery control me. I'm strong enough to go on living, to find a way to deal with my emotion. They are a part of me; I can't just block them out and hope that everything will be alright. You are the one who isn't strong enough to kill me." Sakura's confident gaze seared into Sasuke's dark orbs and his grip on the sword tightened with every word the pink haired kunoichi spoke until his knuckles were white.

With a simple flick of his wrist he could take Sakura's life but for some reason Sasuke hesitated. He merely growled deeply in his throat and pressed the katana a little deeper into Sakura's neck. More of her scarlet blood poured from her beautifully sculpted throat with every beat of her dying heart. The steely blade of Sasuke's katana was now a dark red that glowed in the moonlight, the deep shade matched Sasuke's deadly eyes. His Sharingan glistened dangerously as he looked down to stare directly into Sakura's glowing emerald orbs. She seemed to be waiting for something in an almost expectant way as Sasuke fought within himself, for once unsure how to act. Sakura's alabaster face was turning a deathly pale color and she was beginning to feel light headed. She reached up in a painfully slow way and ran her slender fingers delicately over the blade coating her hand in her own blood. Her eyes never left Sasuke's as her fingers delicately traced their way down the blade to the hilt of the weapon and then over it to land on Sasuke's cold hand. She hesitated for a moment letting her fingers gently graze over his pale knuckles, lightly covering them in blood. Her hand slowly moved onward, making its way up to his face, mere inches from her own. Her bloodied hand delicately cupped his check and she smiled slightly. Sakura's sea green eyes seemed glazed over and her hand began to tremble before slipping from his face. She couched and blood splattered, covering her chin and lips in blood. It was getting harder to breathe.

"Times up…Sasuke," she whispered as her eyelids began to droop. Sasuke's red eyes narrowed at her and with one swift movement he drew the sword across her throat and Sakura collapsed at the base of the tree in a pool of her own blood. Sasuke shivered at the feeling of the warm blood against his cold cheek. Blood on his skin had never bothered him before so why would it now? A knot slowly began to form in the pit of his stomach as he looked down upon the pale corpse of his former teammate. Her body was mostly covered in blood and her skin was now a snowy white. Blood, dirt, and sweat matted her once glossy rosette hair and bruises covered her body. Sasuke felt his stomach churn and he looked away. _Why am I acting like this? She was just an old teammate who knew nothing! She was a hindrance!_ Sasuke's grip on his katana had gone slack and he tightened his fist around the wooden hilt once again. _She meant nothing to me._ Sasuke found his gaze slowly, unwillingly, drawn back to the dead body of his ex-teammate. But if she meant nothing to him…then why did he hurt so much?

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A.N.- Yay!! It's done! I hope you enjoyed. Just a random idea that popped into my head. For those of you who are masters of the Sharingan…don't kill me if I got something wrong. Arigato.

P.S. This version has not seen a beta yet so if there are any mistakes you find I would LOVE to hear about them so that I can fix them. Thanks!!


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